Fundraising Beat Richner's children's hospital in Cambodia has fallen victim to a termite infestation, Ringier recently reported exclusively. Tens of thousands of children would lose all life-saving help as a result. To avert this, a campaign is now underway to raise 20 million francs in donations. On its own initiative, the creative agency JWT+H+F designed an implementation that convinced several partners with a simple but strong visual idea. What was planned as an advertisement has now grown into a multimedia campaign, according to the team of consultants Sara Meier and Andy Hostettler.

Crossmedia The Pope is actually coming to Bern on June 5 and 6 to meet 10,000 young people. At the same time, however, John Paul II will also meet up to 1,000 journalists. 700 media representatives had already received accreditation for the first National Catholic Youth Meeting on Wednesday. According to the AP news agency, around half of them are from Switzerland. The Holy Father is a major media event - and one that can be capitalized on. The Catholic Media Service and SF DRS have already announced the DVD of the Pope's visit: "The most moving pictures" for 38.90 francs.
SF DRS will be covering the visit in detail. The Pope's arrival at Payerne military airport, the opening spectacle of the meeting and the church service on Sunday will be broadcast live. Radio Extra Bern will also devote a large part of its program to the Pope. On Telebärn, however, he can only be seen in the news, as the Bishops' Conference has officially and in part exclusively commissioned SF DRS with the TV broadcast. Swiss television is making some of the footage available to other broadcasters free of charge.
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Awards Almost a fifth fewer Swiss entries were submitted for the Cannes Advertising Festival Lions this year than in 2003. 281 entries were submitted in total, compared with 348 last year.Awards Almost a fifth fewer Swiss entries were submitted for the Cannes Advertising Festival Lions this year than in 2003. 281 entries were submitted in total, compared with 348 last year. 67 entries were submitted for the Film Lions (-7), 171 for Press & Outdoor (-33) and 25 for the Lions Direct (-20). The Media Lions increased from 8 to 11. Swiss agencies bucked the trend: overall, the advertising festival recorded a 14 percent increase this year.

Advertising statistics Gross advertising expenditure in Switzerland fell by 0.9% to CHF 325.4 million in April. Of the 14 sectors listed by Wemf in the Advertising Index Switzerland, five increased and nine decreased, with administration and politics (-30.1%), clothing/shoes (-16.8%), media (-15.6%), retail (-10.6%) and services (-10.4%) all falling sharply. The culture and leisure (23.6%), telecommunications (20.7%) and transport (13.2%) sectors recorded significant growth. The remaining sectors remained between plus and minus 10%. The sector with the highest advertising expenditure, consumer goods, spent CHF 6.9% more at CHF 72.8 million.

Pierre C. Meier on the parallels between politics and the media in Switzerland.
The political climate in Switzerland has deteriorated considerably in recent times. The reasons for this are obvious. Switzerland is being shaken up politically and economically like never before. The variety of problems and their complexity are paralyzing decision-makers and at the same time making them search for solutions with increasing haste. Factual arguments are being replaced by spitefulness, provocation and deliberate indiscretions. The result is a growing mistrust of politics among large sections of the population and a growing disenchantment with politics.
Something similar is happening in the media industry. In the first four
months of this year, the daily press had to report a decline in the
advertising volume of 3401 pages, or 7.1 percent. A further 233 pages (-4.8%) were lost in the general press. And this is compared to the same period in the previous year, which was also already in the red compared to 2002: 7658 fewer advertising pages (-13.7%) in the daily press and 525 fewer pages (-9.8%) in the general press. In two years, that makes minus 11059 pages for the daily press and 758 for the general press. The situation is catastrophic and nerves are on edge. Here we go: Protest and conspiracy theories in French-speaking Switzerland over the redefinition of economic areas, Blick bashing in Weltwoche by the warhorse and ex-editor-in-chief Peter Uebersax, Schawinski bashing by ex-SF-DRS boss Peter Schellenberg and ex-late-night talker Dieter Moor in Blick, Samuel Stutz and his program "Gesundheit Sprechstunde" (Health Consultation Hour) are targeted by the Observer, and "10vor10" is only too happy to take up the steep pass and reinforce it with accusations of money laundering, while Ringier is considering a lawsuit. So here, too, provocation and spitefulness.
It would be fatal if this also resulted in increased mistrust of the media and media disenchantment.
> Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief

Guest commentary Is the new space concept destroying small children? On the contrary, says René Grossenbacher. Two newspapers in French-speaking Switzerland (Nouvelliste, Liberté) are up in arms against Wemf's new room concept. If it were up to them, the 40-year-old shared flats should remain, even though they have long since ceased to have anything to do with reality. Liberté editor-in-chief de Diesbach is also waging his battle via Werbewoche (19/04) with a less than squeamish vocabulary ("hirnrissig", "hirnverbrannt", "Hundstage-Projekt" etc.). The highlights of the campaign for the time being include initiatives by the Fribourg government and French-speaking members of parliament as well as the demand for the nationalization (!) of Wemf. The journalists' association Impressum also got involved and issued a communiqué raising the spectre of impending job losses in small and medium-sized newspapers. One rubs one's eyes in amazement: What is actually going on here? The new space concept is the result of a Publicom study jointly financed by Bakom and Wemf. This was carried out for the first time ten years ago and has now been updated on the basis of newly available data. The spatial concept has therefore been in existence since 1994 and has been used in media policy and practice ever since. So far without any protest. Now the critics are claiming that the zones of influence of their papers are being "seriously" reduced. This already points to a major misunderstanding: the project is not about the demarcation of publishing territories, but about the definition of communication areas and economic areas. The two-tier concept is fundamentally new for the Wemf. The previous WGs were too coarse for some planning purposes and reflected the distribution areas of small and medium-sized newspapers in particular far too poorly. This deficiency is being remedied by the creation of communication spaces. The claim that smaller and medium-sized newspapers would be disadvantaged by the new concept is therefore simply wrong.
De Diesbach speaks of a "drastically" shrinking advertising market due to the new shared flats. The opposite could just as easily be claimed. The only consequence that is certain to occur concerns the reported reach in the defined areas: if a shared flat becomes smaller, the reach of the regional newspaper increases. If it becomes larger, it decreases. Why a Liberté should have better chances in the national advertising market in a large area with a low reach than in a smaller area with a large reach is therefore, with the best will in the world, incomprehensible.
It is not Wemf that defines the newspapers' market areas, but the newspapers themselves do this by optimally developing their coverage area. If this is successful, readership will increase and advertisers will follow. They will hardly be stupid enough to ignore a strong newspaper. So why the outrage and the instrumentalization of politics? Are they perhaps beating the sack and referring to the donkey?
> René Grossenbacher heads the media research company Publicom and is the architect of the Wemf space concept.

Radio After last week's focus on Homo Carnivorus Germanicus, today we turn our attention to an insular species that is considered no less cunning, with advertising circles claiming with good reason that it is chronically daring and, as this example proves, has a fart-dry sense of humor, and the fact that world-famous meat specialties such as mustard steak, roast beef and BSE come from this kingdom is rooted in its traditional trading activities. This is also the reason why even the targeted breeding of pigs has its origins in this country. Breeds such as Leicester or Essex document the high meat culture of this country.
The new campaign by radio station TalkSport is further proof of this. As always skillfully and with a flair for the associative, the advertisers draw a comparison between the largest radio station and its competitors. In the eyes of the English target group, there can be little doubt about the validity of the argument: It is a truism that well-trained stations with visibly tighter "cheeks" are more stimulating to the listening pleasure and the feeling of happiness than precocious or rural specimens.
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Publisher Urs Gossweiler is intensifying the search for a master license for his micro-newspaper concept (see WW 8/04), and the owner and publisher of the Jungfrau Zeitung, which is published in Brienz, confirms information from Werbewoche that the Zurich commercial lawyers at Meiss Blum & Partner are currently conducting concrete negotiations on his behalf "with one major German and two Swiss newspaper publishers". Both Tamedia and Ringier deny any contact with the lawyers appointed by Gossweiler. NZZ regional newspaper boss Beat Lauber is also dismissive, but nevertheless finds the basic idea "exciting".
And the potential German financiers of Gossweiler's ambitious plans - Holtzbrinck, Springer or possibly Gruner+Jahr - are all keeping their customary silence. Nevertheless, the brash man from the Bernese Oberland promises to have his potent partner(s) on board "by the end of the year at the latest, but probably sooner".
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Anna Maier hopes to build on her strengths as a talk show host on "People" on Sat 1 Switzerland. But for Anna Maier, they have almost always automatically become reality. That was initially the case with radio. After completing her apprenticeship, the commercial radio presenter didn't want to continue working in an office. So she recorded a demo cassette and sent it to Radio 24. A few weeks later, she had the job in Zurich, for which others have to spend years touring provincial newspapers and private stations somewhere in the Mittelland. "Would you like to do television?" she was asked two years later by the most accurate talent scout in the local industry. The small talk with Roger Schawinski turned into six years as a presenter for the people magazine "Inside", then as a VJ and anchor woman for TeleZüri news. "I was completely taken by surprise at the time. But I never plan my career anyway." Sat 1 Switzerland had already cast other well-known names before "People" approached Anna Maier. Now the 27-year-old will be the new figurehead of "People", the celebrity magazine of the Swiss magazine on Sat 1.
In the future, this program will feature the Swiss stars or
at least celebrities are made. But still modest, likeable and without any hint of "I'm a sought-after TV face", the future identification figure is interviewed by "People" about her own career. "I've been very lucky," says Anna Maier. "Everything that came after radio was actually an encore," she weighs up. She only reveals that, in addition to her commercial training, she also attended vocational college and later the MAZ media training center as well as "a few internal courses at TeleZüri" when asked.
Instead of planning, Anna Maier prefers to listen to her gut. This was already the case four years ago when she spontaneously decided to have a child despite a budding career as a presenter in the most beautiful feeling of love.
Her decision for a future with Sat 1 has now also been made somewhat more profanely "on instinct". "I've been with the same company since my apprenticeship, you have to grow up at some point," she comments on the change. After eight years, she finds the desire for change "actually normal at my age". She also refuses to accept the question of "desertion" during the interview. She is often asked what changed when Schawinski sold the station to Tamedia. Her answer sounds reasonable: "The father has left the family. Then a stepfather came along and things continued." Not much has changed at work. "I was able to do a lot at TeleZüri, and I'm grateful for that," she says, summarizing the chapter.
Anna Maier is particularly pleased that she will be able to have an even greater say in the concept of "People" than before. "The show will be adapted to me." Of course, she is not yet allowed to reveal anything about the changes to the concept. But the important thing for her is that there will be a regular opportunity to talk. Interviewing people - even strangers - in a long conversation is not just her favorite job in television. Anna Maier also sees this type of conversation as one of her most important strengths.
In this respect, she is not worried about the risk of switching to a project that is still in the start-up phase. "Building on my strengths - you don't have that opportunity very often," she says optimistically. In response to the objection that Eva Wannenmacher and Daniela Lager initially had no luck with similar job changes, Anna Maier counters that both colleagues have been able to develop very well with "Kulturzeit" and "10vor10".
The new celebrity woman at Sat 1 also finds it remarkable how journalists in particular repeatedly emphasize the difference between news and entertainment. "For me, it's not such a big change - and certainly not a step down." Züri News has also always featured stories from the life of illustrious society. The program "Seitenblicke" on Austrian broadcaster ORF also shows how gossip can be made very culturally appealing. "Gossip has a social function. Even children gossip. It is a basic human need to enjoy talking about others," Anna Maier is convinced.
Almost simultaneously with her start as a new presenter on Sat 1, she will also be appearing on Swiss television. For the program "einfach luxuriös", Maier is allowed to travel to Shanghai in late summer, "Luxuriously", she laughs. But that doesn't mean that luxury is a necessity in her life. The "People" presenter, who has a sister who lives as a nun in a convent, feels quite at home away from the chic party glitz.
Anna Maier is pleased that she can have a say in the concept of her show.

Andreas Panzeri

Television Alex Hefter is to become the new Creative Director of SF DRS. He is expected to replace the retired Heinz Kindlimann at the beginning of September. Hefter is currently Head of Design at ZDF in Mainz, where he introduced the German broadcaster's award-winning new look in 2001.

Special interest Le Temps has an ear for music: from October, the Geneva newspaper will include the magazine Vibrations Media research shows that daily newspapers often have little to offer young readers. They use their own media, which are better suited to their needs. Publishers have already tried several times to lure this coveted target group with special youth supplements. However, hardly any of these supplements survived the next round of savings, which is why Le Temps is now joining forces with an established partner to rejuvenate its readership. From October 4, the Geneva daily newspaper will include the music magazine Vibrations on the first Monday of the month. Vibrations has been published for thirteen years and even has an offshoot in France. It was founded in Lausanne by Elisabeth Stoudmann and Pierre-Jean Crittin. The topics covered range from rock and pop to jazz, soul and world music. Vibrations is not a star cut magazine, but deals in depth with artists and their works.
However, the readers of Vibrations have already outgrown the youngest target group. 70 percent are between 21 and 30 years old, only 5 percent are under 18.
In addition to rejuvenating its readership, Le Temps is therefore also aiming to supplement its cultural offering with this cooperation: every Thursday, the newspaper is already published with the Sortir guide to going out, and on Saturdays, the Samedi Culturel supplement provides a rendez-vous with literature and art. For readers interested in culture, the new supplement offers an additional benefit at no extra cost.
Increased circulation
Vibrations can multiply its circulation as a supplement to Le Temps. 60,000 copies are added to the newspaper. The magazine increases its self-distributed circulation from 15,000 to 20,000 copies. They are sold via subscriptions, newsstand sales and free distribution at concerts and festivals. The page price for advertisements will be raised from 4800 to 9980 francs. The Zurich agency Mediabox will continue to market the magazine. Customers from French-speaking Switzerland can now also book via Espace Pub, the advertising management company of Le Temps. Espace Pub forwards the bookings to Mediabox and receives an agency commission.
Vibrations will be slightly revised conceptually for the launch of the collaboration in October. We have already switched from adhesive binding to staples, as a small proportion of the enclosed copies have to be folded. In terms of content, Vibrations remains independent. There are also no plans to merge the two titles and publishers financially.
The music magazine Vibrations will be included in the Geneva newspaper Le Temps from October.

Stefano Monachesi

Advertising DDB London is hoping its ad for the Guardian's sponsorship of the Hay Literary Festival will earn it an entry in the Guinness Book of Records. 3757 words to be exact, the ad is said to be the longest copy ever published, according to the British industry medium Brand Republic. Ian Forth, the name of the agency planner and author, has rolled out the advertising text entitled "I like to read" over five columns. This puts even the linguistic power of Swiss advertisers in the shade; the biggest Swisspool wasteland "only" extends over 2,400 words.